It’s August in Memphis, time to crown the new Hot Wang King. Backed by his best friends and boyfriend Dwayne, who serve as his fry crew The New Wing Order, Cordell has a feeling that this is his year. But then a family emergency throws Dwayne’s nephew into the house on prep night, one of his crew starts messing with the seasoning, and suddenly Cordell’s future is in danger of going up in flames. Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Katori Hall (The Mountaintop) has written a fresh and fierce comedy about the risk and rewards of celebrating who you are.
Runtime: 2 hours and 10 minutes with a 15-minute intermission
Read the program.
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Environment Warnings: This production of The Hot Wing King contains steam effects and loud noises.
Health and Safety
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The Hot Wing King is generously underwritten by Albert G. Lauber and Craig Hoffman.
Pulitzer and Laurence Olivier Award-winning and two-time Tony-nominated Memphis native Katori Hall is the book writer and co-producer of the West End and Broadway hit Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. She’s also the creator of P-Valley, the breakout Starz drama based on her play Pussy Valley. Katori’s latest piece, The Hot Wing King, premiered in Spring 2020 at Signature Theatre Company, rounding out her three-play residency there and winning her the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Her play The Mountaintop, which fictionalizes the last night in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, won the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2010 before opening on Broadway in October 2011 to critical acclaim. Katori’s other works include the award-winning Hurt Village, Hoodoo Love, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning, Our Lady of Kibeho, and The Blood Quilt. She is also the director of the award-winning short Arkabutla. Katori is an alumna of Columbia University, American Repertory Theater Institute at Harvard University, and Juilliard. She’s a graduate of the Sundance Episodic Lab’s inaugural class, the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and Ryan Murphy’s Half Foundation Directing Program. In addition to her Olivier Award, Katori has won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, The Lark’s Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellowship, two Lecomte du Nouy Prizes from Lincoln Center, the Fellowship of Southern Writers Bryan Family Foundation Award for Drama, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, the Columbia University John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement, National Black Theatre's August Wilson Playwriting Award, and the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award.
(As of May 2022)
Steve H. Broadnax III’s directing credits include Thoughts of a Colored Man on Broadway, the world premiere of Katori Hall’s The Hot Wing King at Signature Theatre Company (winner, 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama), the premiere of Lee Edward Colston’s The First Deep Breath at Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theater (winner, Best New Work from the Jeff Awards), Dominique Morisseau’s Blood at the Root at the National Black Theatre (winner of The Kennedy Center's Hip Hop Theater Creator Award), and the premiere of William Jackson Harper’s Travisville at Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York. Steve wrote Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland and directed its world premiere at People’s Light in May 2022. He is an Ensemble Studio Theatre member, serves as the Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light, and is a Professor of Theatre at Penn State University, where he is the co-head of MFA Directing.
(As of June 2022)
Brian Marable (he/him) is a native Detroiter. He is a father, a son, and a brother. Theatre credits include Detroit ’67 at Baltimore Center Stage and Detroit Public Theatre; Skeleton Crew at Old Globe Theatre, People’s Light, Detroit Public Theatre, and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Pipeline and Paradise Blue at Detroit Public Theatre; and, most recently, Thurgood at Chautauqua Theater Company and Detroit Public Theatre. He is a graduate of Cass Tech Performing Arts Department and attended the Wayne State University Theatre program.
(As of May 2022)
Blake Morris is a Brooklyn-based storyteller from the South Side of Chicago. His theatre credits include Ain’t No Mo’ at The Public Theater; 48Hours in…™Harlem at the National Black Theatre; Byhalia, Mississippi at The Kennedy Center; King Hedley II at Two River Theater; On the Grounds of Belonging at Long Wharf Theatre; Kings of Harlem at The Kelly Strayhorn Theater; as well as various new play festivals and workshops throughout New York City. He also appears in episodes of POSE, Jessica Jones, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Law & Order: SVU, The Good Fight, and Blue Bloods. Voice work includes Marvel’s Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord and Crowded Hours, both available on Audible. Blake received his MFA in Acting from University of California, Irvine and is represented by A3 Artists Agency.
(As of May 2022)
Michael Kevin Darnall returns to Studio Theatre having appeared in Wig Out! and Animal. Other theatre credits include Jitney at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; One Man, Two Guvnors at Chautauqua Theater Company; Jefferson's Garden and A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre; and Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3) at Round House Theatre. Other credits include The 39 Steps at RhinoLeap Productions, Ulysses on Bottles at Mosaic Theater Company, and Yentl at Theater J. Michael is a frequent collaborator with MetroStage and Constellation Theatre Company, and a company member at The Hub Theatre. On television, he appeared in HBO’s The Wire. Michael is a five-time Helen Hayes Award nominee and received his BFA in Acting at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theatre Arts.
(As of May 2022)
Bjorn DuPaty is a New York-based actor born and raised in Chicago who last appeared at Studio in Pipeline. New York theatre credits include the Broadway production of Thoughts of a Colored Man, Mlima’s Tale at The Public Theater, and Travisville at Ensemble Studio Theatre. Regional theatre credits include The Bluest Eye at Huntington Theatre Company, Pipeline and Fairfield at Cleveland Play House, Mud Row at People’s Light, Do You Feel Anger? at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Julius Caesar and The Comedy of Errors at Guthrie Theater, and Clybourne Park at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Film and Television credits include Alpha House (Amazon), Sleepy Hollow (FOX), Blacklist (NBC), and Demolition. He has an MFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
(As of May 2022)
Derrick Sanders III (he/him) is an actor, creator, and working artist. His credits include The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time and Blood at the Root at Penn State University and The Crucible, Sweeney Todd, and The Drowsy Chaperone at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. Derrick is making his professional debut in The Hot Wing King at Studio. On social media at @_d3rrick_ (Instagram).
(As of May 2022)
JaBen Early is a theatre practitioner who was last seen at Studio in F*cking A. Credits include All the Way at Lincoln Center Theater; Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and We Are Proud to Present… at the Guthrie Theater; Toni Stone, Junk, The Great Society, and Ruined at Arena Stage; Death of a Salesman at Ford’s Theatre; Macbeth at Shakespeare Theatre Company; Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3) at Round House Theatre; The Convert at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Julius Caesar at Folger Theatre; Titus Andronicus at Molotov Theatre Group; Native Sun at American Century Theater; The Convert at Marin Theatre Company; and The Death of Bessie Smith at Liberty Free Theatre. He has an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and a BFA from Morehouse College, and studied with the British American Drama Academy at Magdalen College, University of Oxford. On social media at @jabenearly (Instagram).
(As of May 2022)
Joe Marshall is an actor and stand-up comedian born and raised in Washington, DC. Selected theatre credits include Pass Over at Studio Theatre, A Raisin in the Sun and Fences at Virginia Repertory Theatre, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibition The Nation We Build Together. Joe regularly performs stand-up comedy in the DC area (DC Improv, Hotbed, DC Comedy Loft) where he produces and hosts a monthly show called Sonic Comedy Lab. He trained at the School at Steppenwolf in Chicago. On social media at @joelumberjack (Instagram).
(As of May 2022)
Tundé Sho is an American Nigerian actor. He previously worked at Studio as an understudy for the character of Moses in Pass Over, directed by Psalmayene 24. He has heavy training and credits in classical and contemporary theatre and film, as well as a passion for cinematography and film editing. Born in New York, he lived his first seven years in Nigeria where he picked up his second language, Yoruba. He moved back to the United States to pursue his passion for acting and received a scholarship to the prestigious New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, where he studied the Meisner technique.
(As of May 2022)
Reginald Richard is an actor, director, and educator. His credits include the premiere of MUSEUM 2040 and Separate Rooms at 4615 Theatre Company, BLUE CAMP and Jeffrey at Rainbow Theatre Project, East of Eden at NextStop Theatre Company, The Tempest at Avant Bard Theatre, and The Great Society at Arena Stage. He made his directorial debut in the summer of 2020 with WANNABE at 4615 Theatre Company. He was recently named champion in the 10th-anniversary Monologue Madness competition in Washington, DC. He is a faculty member at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. On social media at @scriptartist (Instagram) and @reginaldrrichard (Facebook).
(As of June 2022)
Jonathan Mosley-Perry is an actor and musician. His theatre credits include Spunk at Signature Theatre, The Chicken Shack at Stage 52, A Christmas Carol and Julius Caesar at the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, and In-Laws at the Carolina Theatre. Jonathan has appeared in the web series Room For Two, and in episodes of Growing up Fisher, Legit, Get Thee Behind Me, and Nuestro barrio. His film credits include One Penny, 15 Minutes, The Tunnel, Yesterday's Gods, and Leaving Home. He graduated from the Perpich Center for Arts Education with a concentration in Music and earned his BFA from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
(As of June 2022)
Jared Smith is an actor, director, and writer. His theatre credits include a reading of Death and the King's Horseman at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Children of Killers and the 8x10 Play Festival at Al Freeman Jr. Environmental Theatre Space, and Spell #7 at Ira Aldridge Theater. Jared served as the assistant director for Fabulation at Mosaic Theater Company, and virtually directed A Raisin in the Sun during quarantine for the RCR Festival produced by Maya Shed. He is a recent graduate from Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Art. jaredalexandersmith.com
(As of May 2022)
Michael Carnahan’s previous credits include Skeleton Crew (Tony nomination) and Lackawanna Blues on Broadway; The Hot Wing King, The Piano Lesson, and The First Breeze of Summer at Signature Theatre Company; Skeleton Crew at Atlantic Theater Company; I and You at 59E59; and The Happiest Song Plays Last at Second Stage. International credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Billy Elliot: The Musical at Atelier de Cultura in Brazil. Touring credits include Cheers Live On Stage and A Christmas Story: The Musical. Regional theatre credits include productions with Apollo Theater, Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, The Kennedy Center, McCarter Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Pasadena Playhouse, and Two River Theater. michaelcarnahandesign.com On social media at @Carnypics (Instagram) and @mike_carnahan (Twitter).
(As of May 2022)
Ivania Stack (she/her) previously designed several productions at Studio Theatre including I Wanna F***ing Tear You Apart and Water by the Spoonful. Ivania designs for many regional and DC-area theatres including Arena Stage, McCarter Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (Company Member), Seattle Rep, Ford’s Theatre, Round House Theatre (Resident Artist), The Kennedy Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Everyman Theatre, The Second City, Signature Theatre, Imagination Stage, and Olney Theatre Center. She has an MFA in design from the University of Maryland.
(As of June 2022)
Alan C. Edwards was the associate to Jennifer Tipton on The Testament of Mary on Broadway. His work Off Broadway includes the world premiere of Harry Clarke (Lucille Lortel Award) at The Vineyard Theatre; Fires in the Mirror (Lucille Lortel nomination), Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and The Hot Wing King at Signature Theatre Company; the world premiere of Kill Move Paradise (Drama Desk nomination) at the National Black Theatre; and Bluebird Memories featuring Common for Audible Theater. Regional work includes Pipeline and Skeleton Crew at Actors Theatre of Louisville; Paradise Blue at Geffen Playhouse; Detroit ’67 at Chautauqua Theater Company; Twisted Melodies at Baltimore Center Stage; and Lights Out: Nat King Cole at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles as well as its world premiere at People’s Light. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, where he is also an assistant professor of lighting. alancedwards.com.
(As of June 2022)
Curtis Craig is making his Studio debut with The Hot Wing King. This year he has designed the world premieres of Dominique Morisseau’s Confederates at Signature Theatre Company and Steve H. Broadnax III’s Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland at People’s Light, in addition to composing and designing The Three Musketeers at Cleveland Play House. He recently collaborated on the world premieres of Mud Row at People’s Light and Lauren Yee’s The Great Leap at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. He has designed and composed a variety of shows for the Classical Theatre of Harlem, Syracuse Stage, Lantern Theater Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Seattle Rep, Detroit Public Theatre, Chautauqua Theater Company, Dallas Theater Center, and the New York International Fringe Festival. His composition and sound design for the American premiere of Frankenstein will be exhibited at the World Stage Design Expo in Calgary, Canada. He is an Associate Professor of Sound Design at Penn State University. curtiscraig.com.
(As of May 2022)
Amy Kellett (she/her) is a freelance props designer; she is also a puppeteer, puppet builder, and scenic charge. Regional credits include Things That Are Round at Rep Stage; The Blackest Battle, Day of Absence, and Do You Feel Anger? at Theater Alliance; The Mamalogues at 1st Stage; Moon Man Walk at Constellation Theatre Company; An Act of God at NextStop Theatre Company; Dreamgirls at ArtsCentric; Visions of Love, Rite of Spring, Don Cristobal, and King Ubu at Pointless Theatre Company; Que Las Hay, Las Hay at GALA Hispanic Theatre; American Spies and Other Homegrown Fables, The Burn, Secrets of the Universe and Other Songs, The Late Wedding, and Peekaboo! at The Hub Theatre; The Three Musketeers and A Tale of Two Cities at Synetic Theater; the 2016 New Play Festival at YPT, and the 2022 Young Playwrights Festival at Baltimore Center Stage.
(As of May 2022)
Caroline Stefanie Clay (she/her) is an actress, director, playwright, and vocal coach. On Broadway, she has appeared in Tony Award winning productions, including The Little Foxes, Doubt, The Royal Family, and Drowning Crow. She served as the dialect coach for the pilot episode of P-Valley by Katori Hall on Starz and is currently the dialect coach for the upcoming film Flint Strong written by Oscar-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight). A native Washingtonian, Caroline is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She has a BFA in Theatre Arts from the University of the Arts and an MFA in Performance from the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of Maryland. She has taught acting intensives at Georgetown University, Howard University, Ford’s Theatre, Bowie State University, University of Maryland, and Duke University. She is an Assistant Professor of Acting at the University of Iowa, Department of Theatre Arts.
(As of June 2022)
Raja Benz (she/her) is a transgender, Filipina-American theatre educator, intimacy professional, and cultural consultant based in Richmond, Virginia. Recent credits include Daphne’s Dive at Signature Theatre and Seven Deadly Sins (Pride) with the Tectonic Theater Project. Raja is an assistant faculty member with Theatrical Intimacy Education, where she designed and teaches “Working with Trans and Non-Binary Artists”. Raja works full-time as the Community Engagement and Outreach Manager for the Richmond Triangle Players and holds a MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she is the inaugural Post-Masters Teaching Fellow.
(As of May 2022)
Adrien-Alice Hansel (she/her) is the Literary Director at Studio, where she has dramaturged the world premieres of John Proctor is the Villain, I Hate it Here, Queen of Basel, No Sisters, I Wanna Fucking Tear You Apart, Red Speedo, Dirt, Lungs, and The History of Kisses, among others, as well as productions of White Noise, Tender Age, Flow, Until the Flood, 2.5 Minute Ride, Cry It Out, Translations, Curve of Departure, Wig Out!, Straight White Men, Hedda Gabler, Jumpers for Goalposts, Bad Jews (twice), The Apple Family Plays, Invisible Man, Sucker Punch, The Golden Dragon, and The New Electric Ballroom, among others. Prior to joining Studio, she spent eight seasons at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she headed the literary department and coordinated project scouting, selection, and development for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She is the co-editor of eight anthologies of plays from Actors Theatre and editor of 11 editions of plays through Studio. Adrien-Alice holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
(As of May 2022)
Ricky Ramón is an Actor’s Equity member, originally from Pearsall, Texas. He has directed and stage managed over 60 plays and musicals at Adventure Theatre MTC, Atlantic Theater Company, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Theater Alliance, Rorschach Theatre, Imagination Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Teatro Vivo. Ricky earned an MEd in Arts in Education from Harvard University, an MFA in Acting and Directing from Texas Tech University, and an MA in Performance Studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He received a BA in Theatre and English from the University of Notre Dame. Ricky currently teaches theatre in the Department of Theatre Arts in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University.
(As of June 2022)
STEWART/WHITLEY, Duncan Stewart CSA and Benton Whitley CSA, is a casting agency whose credits include Broadway and New York works: Paradise Square, Hadestown (Artios Award), Chicago the Musical, Rock of Ages, The Lightning Thief, The Great Comet of 1812, Elf, On the Town, Pippin, La Cage aux Folles, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. TV and Film credits include work with Netflix, 20th Century Fox, NBC, Lionsgate, and Disney Channel. West End/UK work includes Hadestown, Thriller Live, and projects with Menier Chocolate Factory. The firm has also worked with tours of Hadestown, Hairspray, Waitress, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland, Into the Woods, and We Will Rock You. Stewart/Whitley has worked with regional clients including American Repertory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Alley Theatre, Bay Street Theatre, For The Record, Theatre Under the Stars, Hollywood Bowl, McCarter Theatre, Signature Theatre, and Royal Caribbean Cruises. Stewartwhitley.com. On social media at @stewartwhitley (Instagram).
(As of May 2022)
